United Airlines CEO apologizes: “No one should ever be mistreated this way”

After a few clarifications were issued, the United Airlines CEO eventually released an apology after the footage of a passenger being forcefully removed from a flight went viral, sparking online protest: “No one should ever be mistreated this way.”

In light of the public outrage following the footage of a United Airlines passenger being removed from his flight due to overbooking, United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz released the company’s first apology. “I deeply apologize to the customer forcibly removed and to all the customers aboard,” Munoz said.

“I continue to be disturbed by what happened on this flight and I deeply apologize to the customer forcibly removed and to all the customers aboard,” Munoz stated. “No one should ever be mistreated this way.” In the footage of the incident, 69-year-old David Dao is seen being pulled off the flight by Chicago police.

Dao (left), Munoz (right) Photo Credit: Reuters/CNN/Channel 2 News

In the hours following the incident, the value of United Continental Holdings, the airlines’ holding company, plummeted over 4%, erasing almost a billion dollars of the company’s total value.